How a French Quarter art exhibition solved a portrait mystery
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A portrait of Henry Kraak by artist Newton Reeve, right, and the photo it was based on. Images courtesy of the HNOC
A French Quarter art exhibition featuring portraits of 26 unidentified people is now on view at the Historic New Orleans Collection.
Why it matters: A visitor successfully identified her own family member in one of the portraits.
Context: Portrait artists don't always keep track of who is portrayed in their works, and when the pieces are sold or passed down between generations, that information can seem lost forever.
- The HNOC's exhibition, "Unknown Sitters," opened April 5 and invites viewers to fill in the gaps of what's known about the people featured in the paintings.
- But one woman didn't have to use her imagination at all.
Zoom in: Karen Kraak Wood immediately recognized her grandfather, Henry Kraak, in a painting featured on an HNOC brochure advertising the new exhibit.
- She reached out to HNOC, according to the museum, and identified the man.
Flashback: Henry Kraak had been born in Germany, but immigrated to the U.S. to work at the St. Louis World's Fair, the museum says.
- He eventually moved to New Orleans to work for Jax Brewery owner Lawrence Fabacher where local artist Newton Reeve Howard snapped a photo of him.
- Howard used that photo as the basis for an oil portrait that hung at French Quarter restaurant The Alpine.
- After The Alpine closed, the portrait ended up at HNOC.
If you go: The HNOC is free to visit.
- "Unknown Sitters" is on view through Oct. 6.